New tyres needed...

[ammwhite]

My car is at the dealers today for it's 40k service. I just got a call from them to advise me that all 4 tyres are getting near to the legal limit, and would I like them to go ahead and replace them at £225 per corner for Michelins [img]images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

I said I would leave it just now and see if I could get them cheaper elsewhere. So, what tyres do you all recommend, and what sort of prices should I be looking for?

BTW, I'm still on the stock 17" wheels. Anyone know off-hand what the correct tyre size is?

[Carps]

225/45/17 is the tyre size.
I have Michelin Pilot IIs on my 17" rims, and they are pretty fantastic. Cost about £125 fitted per corner from Micheldever tyres. A long way from you but you can get them mail order.

[rweir]

You could always try COSCO, I got a good deal from there on Michelins ... and they fit them as well ...

r

[Dippy]

225/45/17 is the tyre size.
I have Michelin Pilot IIs on my 17" rims, and they are pretty fantastic. Cost about £125 fitted per corner from Micheldever tyres. A long way from you but you can get them mail order.

What other tyres have you had?

I think that my current Toyo Proxes are better than the Michelin Pilot Sports for dry and wet grip, but they definitely tramline more and it's getting to me. So although I have a few 000s left on them, I'm thinking about the Michelin IIs next.

[Carps]

Bridgestone Expedias SO2, Bridgestone Expedias SO3, Toyo Proxes, Continental Sports Contact II,

The Michelins and the Contis are both very good. The B'stones are good when new, but go off quickly - they lasted like hell though (20,000+). I found the Toyos were good in the wet, but didn't last particularly well

[miketheman2k]

Had to get a pair replaced today...I got Just Tyres to do 2 x Michelins for £130 fitted and balanced which I thought was reasonable, and Just Tyres are all over the UK and don't use the stupid air guns [img]images/graemlins/rocketwhore.gif[/img]

Sorry to change the subject a bit, but does anyone know if its sensible to put the (only slightly) lower tread tyres on the back? [img]images/graemlins/roundeyes.gif[/img]

Mike

[ammwhite]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I'm going to give the Toyos a try - can get them for £116 fitted, thru BlackCircles.com

[Nige_RS4]

I got Just Tyres to do 2 x Michelins for £130 fitted and balanced

I'm assuming that's £130 each - if they are sp2's then that seems like a good deal [img]images/graemlins/jump_clap.gif[/img]

p.s. AFAIK there's no real problem with different tread depth front to back, as long as they are roughly the same tread depth across each axle. Different story if the tread pattern is not the same though.

[shamtec25]

COSTCO is the way forward

I got 4 Michelin Pilotsport 2 tyres fitted this week for £112 each. Bargain

[miketheman2k]

ohhh.... so what happens if you have different treads front and back? I have the newer type Michelins on the front, and the older tread pattern on the back. [img]images/graemlins/suicide.gif[/img]

Mike

[Dippy]

You've got me worried too. Last year I had a puncture and so I ran a Pirelli P6000 on the rear left with a Michelin PS B on the rear right. What's the worst that can happen?

I got Toyos all-round now and it seems OK.

[jeffw]

What's the worst that can happen

You crash....or you wreck your diff.....

[Dippy]

Well I didn't crash and surely I would know if I'd damaged the diff?

[Nige_RS4]

Your'e gonna make your diff(s) work harder than they normally do to compensate for differing grip levels between different brands of tyres - as Jeff suggests in his own unique way, it's more to do with safety than anything else. I read somewhere that it was adviseable to replace all 4 tyres at once with 4wd (but that was probably written by Michelin [img]images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]) - for sure, you have a problem if you have part-worn tyres and you get a serious puncture that requires a new tyre - what do you do? Splash the cash and buy 4 new tyres ???? Tough decision !!

[DavidT]

The diff's will only compensate for wheelspin and the differing wheel speeds (turning radius') when cornering. I can't see how the varying torque transfer via different tyre brands will be an issue because surface changes will cause this with matching tyres in normal circumstances, surely ?

The handling may be affected by the differing grip levels of different tyre brands, and that is to be avoided. I'd say use the same brand all round if you can but definately do not mix brands on the same axle.

Different rolling radius' on the same axle or from front to rear are an issue because the diffs will be constantly making up for different wheel speeds, definately a problem.

I am pretty sure my S4 manual says that differences in tread depth are not an issue on the quattro system, but would need to check this.

Just my 2p